1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a print data generating device which generates print data printable by a line head-type printing device, a printing device, a print data generating method, and a program.
2. Related Art
According to the related art, a print system which includes a print data generating device (host computer) and a printing device for printing print data transmitted from the print data generating device is known (see JP-A-2009-297984). This printing device includes a sheet carrying unit which carries a paper roll in a paper feeding direction, a print head which is a line head configured to be able to print multiple dots simultaneously in a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction, and a cutting unit which cuts the paper roll with a cutter edge. In this printing device, print data is printed by a predetermined amount corresponding to the space between the print head and the cutter edge, then paper feeding is stopped to cut the paper roll, and subsequently the remaining print data is printed. This prevents a margin corresponding to the space between the print head and the cutter edge from being generated at the forward end of the printed material.
Meanwhile, in the related-art print system, where paper feeding is stopped so as to cut the paper roll after print data is printed by a predetermined amount, a deceleration zone is needed to stop paper feeding. Therefore, in practice, printing is executed in the deceleration zone to stop paper feeding. Printing is also executed in an acceleration zone to resume paper feeding. If an image (picture) is arranged on the area printed in the acceleration and deceleration zones, uneven density (in the form of stripes) may occur in the print image, as shown in FIG. 4A. This is because, in the acceleration and deceleration zones, the position where the paper roll is carried cannot be detected with high accuracy, the paper roll may slip due to the acceleration and deceleration, and the duration of heating of the paper roll by the thermal head is longer than usual, and the like. In this way, in the related-art print system, there is a risk of generating uneven density in an image arranged on a print image of print data.
To cope with this, it is conceivable that the paper roll may be fed backward and cut after all print data is printed, so as to avoid the execution of printing in the acceleration and deceleration zones. However, the function of feeding the paper roll backward or the like needs to be installed and this poses the problem of making the printing device more complicated.